CPA Study Hours Calculator

Find out whether your study schedule is actually realistic. The calculator uses the AICPA-cited benchmark of 80-120 hours per section.

8
Weeks of runway
120
Total available hours
100-120h
FAR target
Solid plan (120% of low-end target)

You'll cover the standard hour target with a normal buffer. Focus on covered-questions count and weak-area drilling rather than chasing more hours.

How many hours per section, by the numbers

  • FAR: 100-120 hours. Highest content volume (financial reporting, governmental, not-for-profit). Plan for this section to take longer than the others.
  • AUD: 80-100 hours. Conceptually dense but lower computation load. Heavy on professional skepticism and internal-controls reasoning.
  • REG: 90-110 hours. Tax + business law. Tax sub-content benefits from drilling MCQs heavily.
  • BAR: 80-100 hours. Variance, financial management, and data analytics — content overlaps with FAR for many candidates.
  • ISC: 70-90 hours. Often the lightest section for candidates with IT or audit-tech background.
  • TCP: 90-110 hours. Tax compliance and planning. Like REG, MCQ-heavy preparation pays off.

What if the calculator says my plan isn't realistic?

Two options: extend your runway (most CPA exam dates are reschedulable up to a window before the test for a fee), or accept you'll need to raise weekly hours. Burning yourself out on a 25-hour-per-week schedule for two months is the most common failure mode.